Snowboarding and skiing are two common recreational snow activities. Since its inception in the 1960s and 1970s, snowboarding has gained mainstream popularity as a snow sport. Typical snowboards require the snowboarder to attach both feet to snowboard bindings. When both feet are not attached to the snowboard binding, a user may attach one foot (usually the front foot) to the snowboard while the other foot (usually the rear foot) remains free. In this manner, a user may more effectively ride a chair lift, exit a chair lift, or traverse flat or uphill grades.
While skiing does not require removing the boots from the bindings, snowboarders must remove at least one of the boots from the bindings when not riding down the hill. In order to attach the free foot or both feet to the snowboard bindings (also commonly known as “strapping in”), users typically perform several steps. Users typically sit down on the snow, lean forward, secure their boot or boots to the bindings, and then stand up while balancing themselves. It is often cumbersome to secure the snowboard while sitting down. Sitting down can also be uncomfortable depending on a snowboarder's body type. There is a risk for his or her backside to get wet from the snow. These extra steps also involve extra effort and time.
Snowboarders must strap in after riding the chair lift. Oftentimes, the area surrounding the top of a chair lift can become busy and dangerous while snowboarders strap in. A crowd that forms at the top of the chair lift can cause crowd congestion, leading to potential falls and injuries as snowboarders and skiers exit the chair lift. The act of sitting down to strap in generally takes a longer amount of time than standing up to strap in. This act of sitting down can contribute to the congestion. Sitting down also reduces one's range of motion, especially while wearing heavy and/or bulky snow gear and goggles, making it difficult for snowboarders to react quickly enough to avoid other incoming skiers and snowboarders. Therefore, there is a general need for a slip prevention apparatus to allow a snowboarder to strap in while solving some of these aforementioned problems.
Certain items that assist a user to strap in include U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,328 to Malleis et al. (“the '328 Patent”) entitled “Snowboard Accessory and Method for Engaging Boot with Binding” and incorporated herein by reference, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0024212 to Malleis et al. (“the '212 Patent Publication”) entitled “Snowboard Accessory and Method for Engaging Boot with Binding” and incorporated herein by reference. The '328 Patent and '212 Patent Publication describe a tether, where a first portion of the tether is intended to be gripped by the user, and a second portion is anchored to a snowboard. However, the tether anchor requires modification to existing equipment. This modification can lead to additional installation costs, additional time, and additional effort. In some cases, the modification described in the '328 Patent and '212 Patent Publication can affect the rideability of the snowboard, as the modification requires drilling through the bottom surface of the board. Furthermore, in order to prevent snagging, a user is required to bend down and physically attach and detach the tether from the snowboard. These steps can also lead to more effort, particularly when wearing thick gloves, as a user may be required to remove the gloves before attaching the tether to the snowboard, or assembling the tether.
Certain other items that assist a user to strap in include U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016/0051886 to Edmonston (“the '886 Patent Publication”) entitled “Snowboard Support Devices and Methods” and incorporated herein by reference, and U.S. Pat. No. 9,545,561 to Edmonston (“the '561 Patent”) entitled “Snowboard Support Devices and Methods” and incorporated herein by reference. The '886 Patent Publication and '561 Patent describe a snowboard-mounted stopper that is affixed to a snowboard. Deploying the stopper below a lower surface of the snowboard allows the user to stand up while strapping in. However, the disclosures in the '886 Patent Publication and '561 Patent requires modification to existing equipment. This modification can lead to additional installation costs, additional time, and additional effort. Inadvertent deployment of the stopper in the '886 Patent Publication and '561 Patent, especially while riding the snowboard, can cause damage to the snowboard and/or injury to the user, or affect nearby skiers and snowboarders. Skiers and snowboarders also experience backcountry terrain, where riders avoid certain obstacles including trees, rocks, and ice. Because the snowboard-mounted stopper in the '886 Patent Publication and '561 Patent is located on a surface of a snowboard, there is a possibility for certain obstacles to snag on the snowboard-mounted stopper, leading to potential injury and damage to equipment.
Therefore, there is a need for a slip prevention apparatus that allows a snowboarder to strap in while standing, as to solve a number of the aforementioned problems. There is a need for a slip prevention apparatus to allow a snowboarder to stand while strapping in, as to reduce re-strapping process, to reduce unnecessary movements while strapping in, and to strap in more comfortably. There is also a need for a slip prevention apparatus to allow a snowboarder to stand tall while strapping in, as to provide the snowboarder with situational awareness and to avoid potential accidents and collisions from incoming snowboarders and skiers while strapping in. There is a need for a slip prevention apparatus that includes the advantages of preserving the integrity of existing equipment, avoiding damage to equipment and avoiding injury to a user through the use of the slip prevention apparatus. There is also a need for a slip prevention apparatus that can be tucked away or safely stored when not in use. There is also a need for a slip prevention apparatus that has the benefit of being free from snagging when in use and when not in use.